In 2020, rail passenger traffic will be opened up to the competition in Spain. Looking ahead to this situation, Renfe will launch a new low-cost, intelligent AVE high-speed train. This will be called EVA and it will have all the new technologies, while tickets will be between 20% and 25% cheaper.
On Wednesday September 6, Renfe will submit a bid to develop what will be the first AVE train in the US, running between Los Ángeles and San Francisco in California. The bid fits in with the company’s internationalisation strategy.
Talgo has set up the company Motion Rail to break into the high-speed and long distance rail market when Spain’s rail transport sector is liberalised and opens up to competition in Europe. This is expected to happen end-2020.
The AVE high-speed train has undoubtedly been one of Spain’s big success stories and very positive for its international image. Spain is not just the European country with the most high speed lines (2,900 km), in front of the pioneer (France), with 2,000, but it has also reached these levels in a little over 30 years. France took 30.
Talgo has been the big railway company protected by all Spain’s governments. So it’s no suprise that Talgo’s Avril – with its own traction power – has just beaten Alstom and Siemens and won the contract to build 15-high speed AVE trains for state-owned Renfe. The German company hardly even flinched, but the French had their doubts about how the calculations were made and have asked for clarification.
Spanish engineering company Talgo declared yesterday that it was the “virtual winner” of an order from Renfe (the state-owned passenger and freight rail transport operator) after presenting the best technical and economic bid.
According to information from different sources, Renfe, Adif and Ineco have estimated losses of 1 billion euros as a result of important mistakes in the calculation of travellers made at the beginning of the project.
MADRID | By Carlos Díaz Guell | Analysts in Madrid expect that the investigation over the causes of the Santiago accident will have made public its conclusions before the Brazilian government awards the project.
The Spanish government estimates it may take in up to €30 billion through an “ambitious” privatisation plan which will be passed before summer, reported news agency Europa Press on Monday. This new government plan, which completes the reforms that have already been approved as well as other further measures (the single market, or the entrepreneurship law) will affect all the ministries and enable private initiatives to enter in a large number…